4. A potential Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker Return
So far, there is no confirmation that Darth Vader will be in The Rise of Skywalker. The closest thing we have is his iconic breathing heard right before we were blessed with Rey activating her double-bladed red lightsaber.
I previously suggested his breathing could hint at Darth Rey could be a vision like Vader on Dagobah. However, it’s hard to believe that Vader won’t make an appearance in some way.
J.J. Abrams has said Episode IX will include parts of the prequel and original trilogies. How could he say something like this without including the main character of Star Wars? Especially when Abrams sought guidance from George Lucas, who has said Star Wars is essentially the rise and fall of Anakin Skywalker?
It’s far more likely than not that either Anakin nor Vader (or maybe both, as some theories and previous concept art suggest) will show up in The Rise of Skywalker and we surely hope they do.